Campaigners were celebrating last night after plans for a huge windfarm that would have ruined classic panoramic views of Beverley were thrown out.

Ridgewind Ltd had wanted to build a 12-turbine windfarm at Routh about 4.6 miles from the town, producing 24mw of green energy.

But East Riding councillors agreed with officers who said it would cause “substantial and unacceptable” visual impact on views from the open expanse of the Westwood on to Beverley and its internationally famous Minster.

Dennis Parker, chairman of the Beverley group of the Ramblers’ Association, said: “I think it is a marvellous result that the view from the Westwood has been saved for all time.

“It would have been an absolute disaster if the turbines were to be erected in the location proposed at Routh.”

Penny Higbee, of Routh, added: “It’s absolutely fantastic.

“Eight-five per cent of us were against it. Our main problem was the visual impact; it was too near the properties ““ the nearest was 600m, the majority between 800m and 1km.”

Moving refusal, Conservative councillor Phyllis Pollard told the meeting location was all important: “The fact is this scheme will be very visible from the Westwood and that’s the key problem as far as I’m concerned.

“It’s a view captured by artists over a long period of time. We are very fortunate that it is a view that’s changed relatively little over the years.”

And Liberal Democrat councillor Tony McCobb said: “There’d be flicker and it would be detrimental to a classic view of the Westwood ““ probably the best known view in the whole of the East Riding.”

At the same meeting campaigners against another 12-turbine windfarm on disused Lissett airfield were given a temporary reprieve, with councillors agreeing to defer the application until February 22 for more research into its impact on tourism, a major earner in the area. They also want to investigate a pledge of £1.4m from Novera Energy to a community trust fund.

Residents from Lissett were relieved ““ but concerned it would be passed next time.

The meeting on February 22 will also hear two applications causing concern to residents in the Holderness village of Roos ““ E.ON’s three-turbine scheme at Pilmar Lane, and RES’s 11-turbine scheme at Rectory Road.

Christine Garland, who lives near Lissett airfield, said: “I feel very pessimistic; they are just destroying the landscape.”

Novera Energy said it was heartened that councillors would consider the application again next month.

A spokesman said: “We still believe we have a very strong case.”

Richard Claxton, of East Yorkshire Campaign Against Climate Change, said East Riding Council had to start putting its climate policy into practice: “The fact is to reduce our greenhouse gases significantly in a short space of time we have to go with wind, onshore and offshore.

“We have got to set an example and lead the rest of the world into an enormous revolution that will save the planet.”

So far the area has just one windfarm at Out Newton, producing 9mw. A single turbine of 1.5mw has also been approved, towards the 2010 target of 40.7mw for the East Riding. An application to build a 30mw windfarm at Goole Fields has been recommended for approval, but not yet determined.

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